


His Heart

by Yacoba



Category: Gundam Wing
Genre: AU, F/M, Fantasy, Hurt/Comfort, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-06
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-12 08:46:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29882025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yacoba/pseuds/Yacoba
Summary: This story was inspired by LoveReflection’s March Madness Challenge (2021) and the prompt of “The sound of horses galloping”
Relationships: Relena Peacecraft/Heero Yuy
Comments: 10
Kudos: 9





	His Heart

_“You are her shield now...”_

The King’s words echoed through Heero’s skull, somehow managing to rise above the sounds of galloping horses. Pain pierced his left shoulder and lanced down his arm, leaving his hand numb. But somehow he managed to keep a firm hold of the reins.

_“Protect her with your life...”_

“Ha!” he called to his mount, a creature aptly named Wing, who somehow managed to find another level of speed. They were close, so very very close, the woods, if they could just make it to the cover of the woods.

Heero felt something slice across his right thigh and he bit back on a cry of pain. The arrow narrowly missed biting into Wing before plummeting harmlessly to the earth. He was her shield, he would protect her with his life. The Princess huddled before him in the saddle, not cringing in fear, but calling to Wing for more speed.

“Fly for me Wing!” and he rose to her voice, leaping towards the thick woods, nostrils flaring with each sharp breath as he bore them on.

Heero hunched more closely around Relena’s slighter form, truly shielding her, as a thin branch whipped across his own cheek drawing a line of blood. Wing expertly maneuvered through the trees, Heero hardly guiding him at all now.

He risked a glance back towards the men that followed. Their bows would be virtually useless in here, and their mounts; Heero had seen their mounts before the chase began. Not one of them had the hope of keeping up with Wing. They stood a fair chance now of outrunning them, of making it to a point of relative safety.

_“Swear on your life!”_

He had done so, without a second thought, or a moment’s hesitation. Heero ground his teeth, against the fire of pain, and gave his head a slight shake trying to clear the growing sense of lightheadedness. He knew he was loosing blood, and too quickly, but they couldn’t risk stopping now, not yet, not until she was safe.

“Heero,” Relena’s voice called to him, from the darkness and he blinked not realizing his eyes had closed. Wing continued to lead them through woods, the greens and browns of the forrest appearing to meld into a watercolour blur to Heero’s eyes.

“Heero,” she said his name again, and he looked to see her twisting before him in the saddle. Her small hand reached up to touch his face, “We need to stop,” she told him firmly.

“It’s not safe,” he told her brusquely, not risking a look back over his shoulder again.

“Wing has led us to safety,” the Princess said, turning back to face his horse, the sole possession to his name. “You did well,” she seemed to coo to the stallion, who’s ears flicked back to hear her. “You can stop now,” and at her words Wing began to slow.

Heero tried to urge his mount onwards, “We need to keep going,” he said again, but Wing was slowing to a trot, and quickly down to a walk, his sides heaving and lather coating his neck and flanks. Heero’s heels dug into those flanks with a near panicked determination but Wing was having none of his master’s calls.

The Princess slipped down from the saddle, her hand patting Wing’s neck which he arched for her, and nickered softly before blowing into her fingers. “Heero,” she said his name a third time, and it was only then that he realized there was near silence in the woods around them.

With a grunt he couldn’t fully suppress, Heero swung his right leg over the front of the saddle, and moved to get down. Wing was a tall horse, and Heero’s right leg buckled under his weight the minute it was asked to take it. He would have fallen on his face had it not been for the Princess, catching him with a hand against his chest, while the other moved to his back.

Before he realized what was really happening Relena had led him to a broad tree, and was easing him down against its trunk. He jerked with a hiss off pain when the broken arrow shaft sticking out of his shoulder caught against the bark. “I’m sorry,” Relena said gently, her hands moving towards his shoulder.

“Leave it,” he tried to tell her, attempting to take hold of her hands, but his movements felt sluggish, limbs unresponsive.

Relena smiled at him, a small secretive smile. “I can’t help if its in there,” she said, her hands slipping past his last desperate attempts to stop her.

Pain exploded in Heero’s body as she yanked the arrow free of his shoulder, and he felt himself slumping, trying desperately to draw breath.

_“You are her shield now, promise me you will protect her with your very life.”_

He’d sworn his oath, he had found his purpose, he was nothing without her by his side. It could never be more than it was, but he would see her live, see her smile, and that would be enough.

Heero felt a tingle, a cool electricity coursing through his entire body. The sensation danced most noticeably across his thigh and through his shoulder. It was draining and invigorating at the same time. He felt himself gasp a sudden breath as though he’d just been doused in freezing water. And that’s when he felt it, lips pressed to his, a gentle finger stroking his cheek.

Opening eyes he didn’t remember closing, Heero looked into the pale blue eyes of the Princess, just as she lifted her lips from his. A blush swept across her face, and she appeared to be breathing heavily as she looked down at him. Her hair cascaded about his face, shielding his eyes from what lay around them.

He shifted suddenly, right leg digging into the soft loam of the forrest floor, while he pushed himself up slightly on his left elbow. The pain was gone. The realization hit him, and he stared at Relena as she shifted back from him slightly to rest on her heels.

“What did you do?” he asked voice gruff with emotions, and he felt a strange heat radiating from his face.

Her eyes dropped for a moment, and she looked nothing of the Princess she was. She appeared small and fragile, “It is the gift of the Peacecraft,” she told him softly. “Forgive my boldness, but it works best through touch...” she trailed off tucking long blond hair behind her ear.

Heero stared at her, “Any touch?” he asked her curiously, and saw her face flush an even brighter shade of crimson. At long last she nodded, her eyes peeking up to briefly meet his, and he saw them shining with, was that hope? Or perhaps longing?

His right hand moved of its own accord towards her still blushing cheek, and as his palm touched her heated skin she sighed. Her hands took hold of his wrist, keeping his hand as her own as she let her eyes fall closed.

Without thought or hesitation, Heero pulled her to him, pressing his lips to her. He was her shield, and she was his heart.

**Author's Note:**

> Having already submitted my Creator’s Choice story for the week, I just wanted to share this fic with all of you. I hope you enjoyed!

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Her Shield](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29960208) by [Yacoba](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yacoba/pseuds/Yacoba)




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